Street-car spittoon.



No. 7I5,|28. Patented Dec. 2, |902.

R. B. NORWUOD.

STREET GAR SPITTOUN.

(Application led Tune 5, 1902.)

(No Model.)

Patented Dec. 2, |902. R. B. NOBWOOD. sTm-:ET cAn sPiTTooN. [Application med June'u, 1902.)

(No Model.)

ff M5 'ms nonms Prins cn.. FHoTuLn'no., WASHINGTON. n. c,

Unirse STA-Tus PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD B. NORWOOD, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO I-IIMSELF AND PETER J. SIMMONS, OF PLAINFIELI), NEW JERSEY.

STREET-CAR SPITTOON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,128, dated December 2, 1902. Application filed June 5,1902. Serial No. 110,329. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, RICHARD B. NoRwooD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plainiield, in the county of Union and State of New .Iersey,have invented an Improvement in Sanitary Appliances for Street-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

In most cities of large size, either by the operations of the law or by rules of boards of health, fines or other penalties are imposed for the violation of requirements against eX- peetorating upon the floors of the street-cars. These requirements are very proper, as promiscuous expectoration is a menace to health.

The object of my invention is to provide a device for use in and as an attachment to street-cars that While providing for expecteration shall come within established requirements and that shall not be a menace to health.

In carrying out my invention I provide one or more tubular reservoirs of liberal dimensions running longitudinally under the floor of the car, and rising therefrom are one or more tube-sections passing through the floor of the car into the same. of the tubular reservoirs beneath the car are covered by removable caps, and I provide one or more cover-plates for normally closing they tube-sections at the floor of the car. I also provide one or more flaring metal hoppers normally concealed beneath the seat or seats of the car and adapted to be moved simultaneously with the cover-plates. This movement is effected by a series of pivoted arms, each actuated by a rocker-arm, and devices connecting the same with a handle accessible adjacent to the car seat or seats, and I employ grooved ways and slide-bars therein, and the hoppers and cover-plates are respectively connected to said slide-bars, so that when a cover-plate is moved off a tube-section a hopper is simultaneously moved on for use and then moved 0E and the aperture recapped with the plate. In this manner an apertureis provided for receiving expectoration that is covered to conceal the same, and the receptacle therefore is adapted for periodical cleansing at the respective ends of the car.

In the drawings, Figure l is a partial section through the side and seat-frame of the The respective ends car and a plan of the devices embraced in my improvement. Fig. 2 is an elevation and cross-section at of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through one of the slide- Ways, through the hopper, and through part of the operating mechanism at x as, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-section and elevation at y y of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan showing the open upper end of one of the vertical tube-sections passing through the floor of the car and the grooved Way extending therefrom. Fig. 6 is a plan of a dover-plate, the slide-bar to which the same is connected, and part of the grooved way receiving the slide-bar. Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section through the bottom of the car, through one of the tubesections and cover-plate, the grooved Way, and slide-bar; and Fig. 8 is a cross-section at a .e of Fig. 7, but with the cover-plate removed, so as to show the relation of the grooved way. Figs. 3 to 8, inclusive, are of larger size for clearness, and Figs. l and 2 are of corresponding size.

a represents a tubular reservoir of appreciable size running longitudinally of the car beneath the bottom of the car. This. is secured in place in any desired manner, and it is intended that the respective ends thereof shall be provided with removable caps. This tubular reservoir is provided at intervals with short sleeves, to which are secured the tubesections b. These tube-sections have flanged upper ends let in flush in the floor 2 of the car, and while I have only shown one tubesection and parts operating in connection therewith it is to be understood that any number of tube-sections may be employed. c represents a cover-plate adapted to lit into the upper anged end of the tube-section, and d a hopper having a lower anged portion of corresponding circumference and shape with the cover-plate and adapted also to fit into the upper flanged end of the tube-section b interchangeably With the cover-plate.

3 is a seat, and 4 the seat-front, of the car, which in the illustration is made longitudinally of the car.

e e and ff are pairs of similar pivoted arms that are in part slotted. The arms e e are respectively pivoted at 5 and 6 to the iloor of the car beneath the seat. The arms f f are provided with pivots 7 and 8, connecting the same to the lioor of the car beneath the seat. The ends of the arms e'f distant from the pivots 6 and 8 are connected to the slotted portions of the arms ef by a pin adapted to move along in the slots of said arms.

A rocker-arm gis secured to a vertical shaft h, which shaft is provided with suitable bearings in the floor and in the cross-bar beneath the seat, and the slotted short ends of the arms ef are connected to the ends of the rocker-arm g by posts 1S and 19. A horizontal shaft h is provided with suitable bearings upon the cross-bar m beneath the seat, and at one end of the shaft Zz is a bevel-gear 10, meshing with a bevel-gear 9 upon the upper end of the shaft h, and I provide a handle if on the opposite end of the shaft h', coming adjacent to the front edge of the seat and occupying a depending position.

In the oor of the car there are grooved ways 7c Z, occupying with reference to one another an angle of substantially V form, the diverging ends coming against the side of the car and the meeting ends in the iioor of the car forward of the seat-front 4. These grooved Ways are undercut and receive the slide-bars 1l 12, these grooved Ways connecting with the tube-section b and their meeting ends coming to as close proximity mechanically as it is possible to make them, and the bases k Z of said grooved ways adjacent to the tube-section b are cut away for an appreciable length for the reason hereinafter described.

The cover-plate c is provided with a roller 15, with a post and foot-piece c', and a spring 13. The post passes through the aperture in the forward part of the slide-bar 12, so as to connect the cover-plate to the slide-bar, and the spring extends from the under surface of the slide-bar 12 to the surface of the foot-piece of the post, there being a short rod within the spring. and extending into or through the slide-bar 12, so as to x the position of the spring. ThehoppercZis providedwitharoller 16, with a post and foot-piece CZ', and a spring 14, said post of the hopper passing through an aperture in the forward end of the slidebar 11, connecting the hopper to the slide-bar, and a spring 14, occupying a position between the underside of the slide-bar and the upper surface of the foot-piece, there being a rod passing into or through the slide-bar and into the spring 14 to center the same and hold the spring in position.

The grooved ends of the pivoted arms e and fare connected, respectively, to the slide-bars shaft h, the bevel-gears 9 and lO, the shaft h,- and swinging the rocker-army. f This movement from the position Fig. 1 causes the slide-bar 12 to move longitudinally of the grooved Way Z and be withdrawn into the seat inclosure and the hopper d, to be projected from its position within the seat inclosure by the slide-bar 11, which is moved longitudinally of the grooved way 7c to bring the hopper into the position previously occupied by the cover-plate c. In this position the hopper is directly above the tube-section, and the tube-section communicates with lthe tubular reservoir a, beneath the car, and in this position the parts are to be used as a spittoon. After such use the handle 7l is to be again swung in the reverse direction to. move the hopper off of the tube-section b and retract the same beneath the seat and to push forward the cover-plate c to close 0E the open: ing in the tube-section ZJ.

To provide for-the movement of the various arms, it is essential that some of them be slotted, which not only provides for their movement, but their change of position. From Fig. 7 it will be noticed that the cover-plate c fits down into the upper ianged portion of the tubesection Z) and that the surface of the cover, plate is flush With the bottom of the car and y with the surface of the grooved way Z, while from Fig. 3 it will be noticed that the surface of the base of the hopper d is raised above the surface of the grooved way Zo. In Fig. 3 the spring 14Eis compressed and the base of the post CZ raised. above the surface of the base of the grooved way, so that said post and foot-piece, with the spring, may be moved longitudinally of the grooved way, while in Fig. 7 it will be noticed that the spring 13 is in its expanded position, with the post c down to the lowest point and the foot-piece of the post below the base of the grooved waylwithin the notched end provided to receive these parts in their depressed position. To effect this movement, the forward ends of the grooved ways k Z, adjacent to the tube-section Z9, are beveled or inclined, as will be seen specially in Figs. 3 and 5. With the movement of the parts these inclined or tapering ends act upon the rollers 15 and 16 to raise either the cover-plate or the hopper withthe longitudinal movement of the parts from the positionv Fig. 7 to the position Fig. 3; otherwise it would not be possible to move said parts longitudinally of the slideways Without the same being` lifted out of the upper iianged end of the tube-section I). This elevated movement compresses the springs 13 14, and the rollers 15 and 16 then bear upon the surfaces of the grooved ways as the cover-plate and hopper, with the slidebars 1l and l2, move back and forth in the ways. It will thus be seen that there is a rising-and-falling movement to the coverplate and hopper as the same pass down into the flanged upper end of the tube-section or out of the same.

The proportion of the parts is such that4 TOO there is small liability of any expectoration remaining upon the inner surface of the hopper d, the same passing freely down through the tube-section b into the tubular reservoir a. This tubular reservoir by preference should be provided with covers at the respective ends, so that periodically the car-cleaners in the car-yards or at the car-house may remove these covers and flush the tubular reservoir with a hose for thoroughly cleansing the same; but this forms no necessary part of my invention.

While I have illustrated and described particularly one complete and operative device,

it is obvious that as many of these devices as it is desired may be placed in the length of the car and also that the same may be placed either upon one or both sides of the car for use, as required.

I claim as my inventionl. Asanitaryapplianceforstreet-cars,comprising a receptacle beneath the car and a tubular connection therefrom to the inner surface of the car-floor, a cover-plate for the orifice of said parts and a hopper interchangeable With the cover-plate, and devices for simultaneously actuating the cover-plate and the hopper so that When the hopper is removed the cover-plate occupies the position thereof, and vice versa, substantially as set forth.

2. Asanitary appliance forstreetcars,com prising a receptacle beneath the car, and a tubular connection therefrom to the inner surface of the car-door, a cover-plate for the orifice of said parts, and a hopper interchangeable with the cover-plate, a hand-operated mechanism, a series of arms actuated thereby, slidable devices upon which the coverplate and hopper are respectively mounted and connections therefrom to said arms, whereby the cover-plate and hopper are actuated simultaneously for removing the coverplate, placing the hopper in the position occupied thereby and again returning the coverplate to its normal position and the hopper to its normal position, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a tubular reservoir running longitudinally beneath the car, a tube-section connected thereto and rising therefrom and terminating in an aperture at the surface of the car-iioor, diverging slide- Ways extending from the tube-section, slidebars in said slideways, a cover-plate connected to one of said slide-bars, and a hopper connected to the other slide-bar, and hand-operated devices for moving the cover-plate and hopper simultaneously to remove the coverplate from the aperture of the tube-section and place the hopper thereon and in the reverse movement to remove the hopper and replace the cover-plate, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a tubular reservoir running longitudinally beneath the car, a tube-section connected thereto and rising therefrom and terminating in an aperture at the surface of the car-door, diverging slide- Ways extending from the tube-section, slidebars in said slideways, a cover-plate connected to one of said slide-bars and a hopper connected to the other slide-bar, and hand-operated devices comprising pivoted arms in pairs, a rocker-arm to which, as well as to the slidebars, the ends of the respective pivoted arms are connected, and shafts set out of a straight line and operatively connected with one another beneath the seat of the car, a connection with said rocker-arm, and a handle for actuating the same, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a tubular reser-` voir running longitudinally beneath the car, a tube-section connected thereto and rising therefrom and terminating in an aperture at the surface of the car-floor, diverging slideways extending from the tube-section, slidebarsin said slideways, a cover-plate connected to one of said slide-bars and a hopper connected to the other slide-bar, and hand-operated devices for moving the cover-plate and hopper simultaneously to remove the coverplate from the aperture of the tube-section and place the hopper thereon and in the reverse movement to remove the hopper and replace the cover-plate, and slotted arms pivoted to the floor of the car and at their slotted ends pvotally connected to the slide-bars of the grooved ways, other arms slotted and pivotally connected at one end to the aforesaid slotted bars, pivoted to the ioor of the car, and a rocker-arm to which the slotted ends of the latter arms are pivotally connected, vertical and horizontal shafts at right angles to one another, bevel-gears connecting the same, a connection from the Vertical shaft to the rocker-arm and a handle on the free end of the horizontal shaft accessible at the forward part of the seat to be actuated by hand, substantially as set forth.

6. In a sanitary appliance for street-cars,the combination With a tubular reservoirbeneath the floor of the car, a tube-section rising therefrom, passing through the iioor of the car and having its open upper end upon the level of the floor of the car and provided with a flange, of grooved Ways connecting with and diverging from the said fianged tube-section, slidebars in said grooved ways and means for actuating the same simultaneously in opposite directions in said grooved Ways, a device fitting the iianged upper end of the tube-section and closing the same, a yielding connection between the same and one of the slide-bars, an

apertured structureinterchangeable with the aforesaid devices filling the upper end of the tube-section, a yielding connection therefrom to the other of said slide-bars in the other grooved Way, substantially as set forth.

7 In a sanitary appliance for street-cars,the combination with a tubular reservoir beneath the floor of the car, a tube-section rising therefrom, passing through the floor of the car and having its open upper end upon the level of the iioor of the car and provided with a iiange,

IIG

of grooved Ways connecting with and diverging from the said anged tube-section, slidebars in said grooved Ways,and means for aetnating the same simultaneously in opposite directions in said grooved ways, a cover-plate c, a roller 15 connected therewith, a post o formed with said cover-plate and extending through one of said slideways, and a spring 13 between said slideway, and a prolongation or foot of said post, a hopper d, a roller 16 connected t0 said hopper, a post d formed with said hopper and extending through the forward portion of the other slide-bar,a spring 14tbetween the under side of said slide-bar and a prolongation or foot of said post CW, guides for the springs 13 and 14, inclines at descending movement to position and arising movement out of position,substantia1ly as set forth. f

Signed by me this 2d day of June, 1902. RICHARD B. NORWOOD. Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINOKNEY, BERTHA M. ALLEN. 

